Headline figures on drink-driving casualties released by the Department of Transport (7 August) reveal that there were an estimated 210 fatal drink drive accidents on Britain’s roads in 2012, resulting in 230 deaths. This is roughly the same as 2011, when there were 220 fatal drink drive accidents resulting in 240 deaths. The 2012 results were described as “not significantly different” compared with those from the previous 12-month period.
Total drink drive casualties and accidents were also largely unchanged from the previous year. There were 9,930 casualties in 2012 (as in 2011), accounting for 5% of all reported road casualties, and there were an estimated 60 fewer drink drive accidents over the same period (6,690 in 2011 to 6,630 in 2012).
The number of drink drive deaths in 2012 accounted for approximately 13% of all road deaths in GB (1,754), a slight fall of three percentage points on the previous year (16%).
The report’s findings continue the trend in recent years of drink drive deaths being among the lowest since detailed records began in 1979.
‘Reported road casualties in Great Britain, final estimates involving illegal alcohol levels: 2012‘ is available to view and download from the Department for Transport statistics page of the gov.uk website.